I feel guilty about it. The price of fuel is going through the roof, but I am not affected.

Sure, I am affected, the price of energy affects the entire economy, and the price of everything will go up as a result. I might lose my job in the resulting economic dislocation, and the possibility of becoming a victim of crime due to economic change is increasing.

Still, the direct and obvious effect of expensive gasoline has not inconvenienced me. I own two compact sedans which get excellent mileage, and I live less than 9 miles from where I work. There is a stupormarket 200 yards from my house, and almost any conceivable business I may need to patronize within a mile. Now, I am riding the bus to work, and I have a $20/month transit pass good for anytime, anywhere in the County. My two vehicles have full tanks of fuel and are used so infrequently I have to start them and run an errand with them once a week just to make sure the engine seals don't dry out and the batteries remain charged. The last time I filled them up was over three weeks ago and the gauges are still on "F".

I suppose the price of electricity could follow gasoline, but I don't have to worry about home heating in S. Florida, and my new air conditioner is brand new and super efficient. The house and roof are painted reflective white, and is old enough that it has properly designed and shaded windows, so even if running the AC becomes prohibitively expensive I can afford to live without it.

I suppose I am as well prepared for this emergency as I can be, but I still feel guilty about it. I'm not crowing about any of this, I didn't do any of this on purpose and can take little credit for my good fortune. I just feel lucky how things have worked out.

I'm sure you folks are gearing up for this, too. Any comments?